Workday Payroll Program Manager

Hybrid 2 days onsite / 3 days remote in Washington, DC

Our client seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead enterprise Human Capital Management initiatives with a primary focus on Workday and UKG. The role will plan, coordinate, and drive execution of implementations, enhancements, integrations, reporting, governance, testing, readiness, and operational transition. The position will partner with HR, payroll, finance, operations, IT, vendors, and implementation partners to align solutions with organizational priorities, compliance requirements, workforce processes, and technology standards.

The role reports to the PMO Manager and will drive stakeholder engagement, decision support, and delivery governance while translating complex HCM concepts for non-technical users.

Due to client requirements, applicants must be willing and able to work on a w2 basis. For our w2 consultants, we offer a great benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, 401k with company matching, and life insurance.

Rate: $60.00 to $70.00/hr. w2

• Lead complex, cross-functional HCM programs and projects focused on Workday, UKG, and related workforce management capabilities.
• Develop and manage integrated program plans, schedules, milestones, dependencies, risks, issues, budgets, and implementation roadmaps.
• Facilitate governance and decision forums by preparing materials, documenting decisions, tracking actions, and communicating status to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Partner with HR, payroll, finance, operations, IT, vendors, and implementation partners to clarify scope, align priorities, resolve issues and risks, and maintain delivery momentum.
• Coordinate requirements, configuration decisions, workflow alignment, data validation, testing, readiness, cutover, implementation, transition planning, and post-implementation stabilization.
• Produce reports, dashboards, executive updates, decision logs, RAID logs, and program documentation.
• Communicate program status, risks, issues, decisions, dependencies, and adoption impacts to leadership and affected business areas.
• Support process improvement, change management, stakeholder readiness, training coordination, adoption planning, and operational transition.
• Assist in developing and maintaining standards, templates, tools, and methodologies that improve delivery consistency, governance, readiness, and operational effectiveness.
• Maintain awareness of workforce processes, HCM technologies, platform roadmaps, vendor capabilities, and delivery practices to support modernization and continuous improvement.
• Ensure work products meet business needs, quality expectations, compliance requirements, data integrity standards, configuration expectations, and delivery commitments.
• Balance and prioritize multiple programs, platform enhancements, implementation activities, and stakeholder needs.

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years in program or project management, business analysis, technology delivery, or related field with enterprise HCM platform support.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional HCM programs or projects across HR, payroll, finance, operations, technology teams, vendors, and senior leaders.
• Strong planning, organizational, facilitation, analytical, problem-solving, and time management skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and define acceptable HCM solutions, delivery approaches, governance decisions, and operational readiness plans.
• Ability to interpret vendor feedback and provide recommendations to stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Experience developing and presenting executive-level reports, dashboards, status updates, decision materials, risk summaries, and readiness updates.
• Strong understanding of program and project management disciplines, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, issue, dependency, resource, change, benefits, and stakeholder management.
• Experience supporting Agile or other delivery methodologies in enterprise platform, ERP, HRIS, payroll, workforce management, or HCM environments.
• Hands‑on experience supporting Workday and UKG initiatives across implementation planning, enhancements, requirements, configuration coordination, workflow alignment, integration coordination, testing, data validation, security and access, reporting, stakeholder readiness, training support, adoption planning, issue resolution, and stabilization.
• Working knowledge of HCM processes including core HR, payroll, time and attendance, absence…